An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is a straightforward solution: it's a battery in a box with enough capacity to power devices plugged into its alternating current (AC) outlets for minutes to hours, depending on your needs and the mix of gear. This may enable you to maintain internet connectivity during a prolonged power outage, provide the five minutes required for your desktop computer with a hard drive to execute an automatic shutdown, and prevent losing work (or in a worst case scenario, running disc repair software).
In terms of enjoyment, it may provide enough time for you to save your game following a blackout or—perhaps more importantly—alert others in a team-based multiplayer game that you need to exit, avoiding an early-quit penalty.
A UPS also functions as a surge protector, assisting your equipment and ensuring its uptime by compensating for transient voltage drops and other electrical power network instabilities, some of which might harm computer power supplies. A UPS, which typically costs between $80 and $200, can provide tremendous peace of mind in addition to increased uptime and decreased loss.
The UPS is not a new concept. They are centuries old. However, the price has never been cheaper, and the choice has never been greater. I'll explain what a UPS can do for you, help you prioritise your needs, and give preliminary purchasing recommendations in this introduction. Later this year, TechHive will provide reviews of UPS models suitable for home and small office use, allowing you to make educated purchasing decisions.
The UPS was invented during a time when electronics were delicate and drives were readily thrown out of alignment. They were created to supply continuous—or "uninterruptible"—power in order to avert a variety of issues. They were first found in server racks and were used with network equipment until the price and format became affordable for home and small-office devices.
Any gadget you owned that lost power unexpectedly and contained a hard disc could end up with a corrupted directory or possibly physical damage caused by a drive head colliding with another component of the mechanism. Other equipment that loaded its firmware from chips and ran on volatile storage may likewise suffer data loss and require some time to reassemble.
Hard drives evolved to better manage power outages (and acceleration in laptops), and all portable devices and the majority of new computers now use movement-free solid state drives (SSDs) without internal spindles or read/write heads. Embedded devices ranging from modems and routers to smart devices and DVRs improved their resilience and boot speed. The majority of devices offered nowadays include an SSD, flash memory, or memory cards.
It is still possible that if your battery-free desktop computer loses power unexpectedly, it will be left in a state that corrupts documents, deletes the most recent state of a spreadsheet, or occurs at such an inopportune time that you will need to recover your drive or reinstall the operating system. Avoiding those scenarios, particularly if you frequently experience minor power outages at home, can save you time re-creating lost work and possibly money on drive-rebuilding software, even if your hardware stays undamaged.
A more prevalent occurrence is when networking equipment with low power consumption fails to function properly. Loss of power results in loss of internet access, even if your cable, DSL, or fibre line continues to be powered or active via the ISP's physical plant or a neighbourhood interconnection point, rather than a transformer on your building or block. A UPS can keep your network operational while the utility restores power, even if it takes hours.
When the electricity goes out, the UPS's battery automatically kicks in. It distributes the appropriate amounts to all connected devices until the battery's power is depleted. A modern UPS may also communicate with a computer about a variety of things, such as remaining time or initiate a shutdown, using built-in or installed software (such as Energy Saver in macOS).
Battery capacity is a critical differential between UPSs designed for residences and individual devices in an office. You can purchase units with a wide variety of battery capacities, and the larger the capacity of the battery, the longer the runtime or the more equipment that a single UPS can handle. In some circumstances, it may be prudent to purchase two or more UPSes to cover all of your critical equipment, each one matched to the appropriate capacity.
Batteries do need to be replaced, even if they have been used for an extended period of time. A UPS will normally illuminate or emit a sound to warn when a battery needs to be replaced, and it may also do so via software running on the computer to which it is attached.
UPSes are available in standby and line interactive configurations for consumer and small business use. While standby units retain their batteries charged and available for on-demand, automatic use, they are otherwise in standby mode, as the name implies. A line interactive version distributes electricity from the wall to connected devices via an inverter while also charging the battery. It is capable of conditioning power, smoothing out highs and lows, and switching to battery power in a matter of milliseconds. (Other versions are significantly more expensive or are designed for use in mission-critical systems with increased power consumption.)
A few years ago, the price differential was significant enough that you had to weigh the necessity of specific features against the expense. Now, you may wish to consider a line interaction UPS due to its benefits, which include reduced battery wear and tear, hence increasing the battery's life. Batteries are inexpensive to replace, costing a small proportion of the original item's purchase price, thus maintaining them in good condition for a longer period of time lowers your total cost of ownership.
A UPS is not merely for restoring power in the event of an interruption, and this is another area where the standby and line interactive approaches differ.
These three voltage fluctuations can occur on a regular or irregular basis when your utility supplies power:
Surges: Utilities can experience transient spikes in electrical power, which can have a detrimental effect on electronics, occasionally destroying a power supply or frying the entire item. Surge protection effectively reduces voltage when it exceeds a specified safe range.
Sags: When equipment with a large motor comes on, such as a clothes dryer or a heat pump, your home or workplace may experience a momentary voltage sag—sometimes even in an adjacent apartment, house, or building.
Undervoltage (“Brownouts”):In some instances, if there is widespread electrical demand, a utility may cut voltage for an extended period in order to avoid a total blackout. This can cause problems with motor-driven industrial and household equipment—many appliances contain motors, which are frequently used to drive a compressor, such as a refrigerator or freezer. Extended undervoltage has the potential to harm several electrical components.
As with standalone surge protectors, a standby type often deals with excess voltage through inline metal-oxide varistors (MOVs). These MOVs transfer power to the ground, but eventually fail due to prolonged use. At that time, all of the UPS models I investigated ceased transmitting power. (This is in contrast to the majority of surge protectors, which turn off their “protected” LED on the front but continue to flow power.)
A standby model will use the battery to compensate for power sags and undervoltage. If this occurs frequently or in rapid succession, your UPS may not be enough to the task and may not offer enough delay to prevent a desktop system or hard drive from losing power long enough to halt or crash its operating system.
A line interactive UPS supplies power continuously via a conditioner that charges the battery and regulates power. Automatic voltage regulation, abbreviated AVR, can convert voltage as needed to supply clean power to connected outlets without relying on the battery. The battery is only utilised as a last option with a line interactive model.
There is one final power characteristic of a UPS that is present in both standby and line interactive models: the smoothness with which the model generates alternating current from the direct current output of its battery. Alternating current reverses its direction 60 times per second, and a UPS must emulate this flow, which can be represented by an undulating sine wave.
A UPS may generate a pure sine wave, which adds to the expense, or a stairstepped sine wave, in which power alternates more abruptly up and down. A choppy sine wave can be a deal breaker for certain types of computer power supply, which contain components that interact adversely with voltage variations. It could result in early component wear, component failure, or extra damage.
If your equipment has active power factor correction (PFC) or delicate or sensitive circuits, particularly for audio recording, you will almost certainly require a pure sine wave. It's not always obvious whether a device contains active PFC; when in doubt, go for a pure sine wave—the additional cost has decreased significantly.
Even if the equipment is not subject to power supply failures, a stepped sine wave can cause a power supply to emit a high-pitched whine when it is powered by batteries.
One final UPS feature that may be useful: less priced models include one or more LEDs that show various status components, such as operation on backup power or the need to replace the internal battery. Others feature an LCD display (sometimes backlit) that displays a variety of information, often an excessive amount, which may be seen via software installed on a linked computer.
All UPSes include built-in audio outage alarms, some of which are fairly loud.
The majority of us must plan for two distinct scenarios: maintaining network connectivity and preventing our AC-powered PCs from abruptly shutting down. These require significantly different hardware and configuration choices.
However, all have one thing in common: having enough outlets spaced properly to plug in all of your items directly. The majority of UPSes provide both battery-backed and surge-protected outlets that are not connected to the battery. You must consider both amount and location, as it is strongly suggested that you do not connect a power strip or other extensions to either type of UPS outlet, as this raises the risk of an electrical fire.
This can be particularly challenging if you have huge "wall wart" style AC converters or AC connectors that are broader than typical.
Conduct a thorough examination of all the devices that comprise your network. This may comprise a broadband modem, a VoIP phone adapter, one or more Wi-Fi routers, one or more Ethernet switches, and/or a smart home hub. Because these may be dispersed around your home or workplace, you may require two or more UPSs to keep the network running.
If you have a modem, router, and switch all in close proximity (along with a VoIP adapter if necessary), you may be able to survive without other components of your networking functional during an outage. Additionally, it is likely that you have this hardware hooked into a surge protector. (These devices typically do not benefit from the sag/undervoltage help provided by a UPS, as their DC adapters deliver power under a broader variety of conditions.)
Perhaps one or more pieces of equipment already incorporate a modest battery backup. Numerous smart home hubs include an integrated battery backup. Additionally, because government authorities often need a multi-hour battery backup for VoIP operation, your broadband modem or VoIP adapter may incorporate an internal battery.
To determine the size of UPS you require, consult the specifications for all of your equipment. This is often moulded in black-on-black 4-point type on the underside of the gear or on a DC converter that either plugs directly into a power outlet or comes in two parts with a block between the adapter for your device and a conventional AC outlet cord. You're seeking for DC voltage and amperage, such as 12 volts and 1.5 amps, or total wattage, such as 18 watts.
Add these quantities together, and you can use planning tools to determine the appropriate unit. For example, CtrlTech includes an extended runtime chart with the wattage and runtime information for each of its devices. You may also use the site's calculator, which allows you to enter devices or wattage and receive recommendations on which units to purchase and how long each unit can work at that load.
For the majority of combinations of gear and inexpensive units, you should be able to run network equipment entirely on battery power for at least an hour. Increase your investment or purchase numerous units to increase this to two to eight hours.
The objective here is to ensure that all devices that require continued operation have enough power to operate during a brief power outage and to shut down—preferably automatically—during any outage lasting more than a few minutes.
There are two distinct power concerns to address: the total electrical load created by the devices connected to the UPS's battery-backed outlets and the capacity of the UPS's internal battery, which defines how long power may flow at a particular associated load. (The outlets that are only secured against power surges have a significantly greater maximum power load that computer equipment will not exceed.)
As with network gear, begin by estimating the total wattage of all the devices you're planning to connect. Most hardware will display either a single wattage or a maximum wattage consumption; if only amperes (or amps) are shown, multiply 120 (for volts) times the amps listed to obtain wattage. I have an iMac, an external monitor, a USB hub, and two external hard drives in my workplace. This adds up to approximately 250W.
With that value, you may determine the maximum load capacity of a UPS, which is sometimes reported in a bewildering combination of volt-amperes (VA) and watts or both. Although volts times amps and watts should be equal, UPS manufacturers employ a different calculation, which is almost certainly incorrect. On a UPS, watts equal volts times amps times power factor, or the efficiency with which a power supply on a computer or other device converts AC input to DC output.
You can still total up the wattage of all your gadgets and use that figure as a guide to locate a UPS that exceeds that figure by some margin: your equipment cannot exceed the UPS load factor or it will fail to work. (If a UPS is only rated in VA, multiply that figure by 0.6 or 60% to obtain the wattage rating.)
With that figure in hand, you may examine the runtime available on models capable of supporting your total load, according to the figures, tables, or calculators described above that manufacturers provide to estimate the number of minutes you get on battery-only power.
With my iMac configured to a power consumption of more than 250W, I have numerous alternatives in the $100 to $150 area that have a maximum power load well beyond that figure and provide five or more minutes of runtime.
Additionally, it is vital to select a UPS type that contains a USB connection for connecting to your desktop computer, as well as software that is compatible with your operating system. While macOS and Windows include built-in power management features that can detect suitable UPS gear automatically, you may want additional software to change UPS settings (such as warning sounds) or to generate extensive reports and charts on power quality and incidents.
The power management tools and software included with the operating system and from UPS manufacturers enable you to define safe, automatic shutdown conditions. You can construct a scenario as follows: "If the outage lasts more than three minutes or the battery's charge falls below 50%, initiate an instant safe shutdown."
Additionally, it is critical to ensure that all operating applications may quit without losing data and without interfering with the shutdown. For instance, an unsaved Word document may prevent Windows from shutting down completely. In macOS, the Terminal software by default refuses to stop if there is an active remote session, however this behaviour can be overridden.
With that in mind, the following is a checklist to follow when evaluating a UPS:
We're currently reviewing various uninterruptible power supply and will update this storey with links to the completed reviews when they become available. Keep an eye out.
A Comprehensive Approach to Energy Management at a World-Class Biomedical Research Facility.
Customer conducts scientific research to better understand the biology of humans and pathogens and leads global partnerships to support ground-breaking research and transformative healthcare innovations. The institute's study programmes far exceed those of the majority of biomedical research foundations. In a nutshell, its science is industrial in scope.
Along with being a research facility, the campus hosts educational and collaborative programmes and conferences, bringing together scientists from around the world in a tranquil setting.
Protecting mission-critical equipment, servers, and security systems is a given on such a site, and reliability, flexibility, and ongoing maintenance costs all play a role in the selection of a UPS solution. Additionally, an increasing number of organisations recognise that containing energy costs equates to reducing their carbon footprint. Both of these issues were addressed by Customer Campus.
The relationship between The Campus and CtrlTech Critical Power began more than a decade ago with the installation of the first UPS system. Currently, the site houses over thirty UPS systems with capacities ranging from 200kW to 800kW. (made up of 4 x 200kVA modular UPSs utilising 25kW power modules). The modular approach was critical in selecting CtrlTech Critical Power because it enables the UPS systems to be upgraded as power demands increase and gives the customer the freedom to select and distribute the 25kW modules as needed.
Along with delivering critical UPS products, the CtrlTech team performs annual preventative maintenance on the site UPSs. Significant improvements in mean time before failure (MTBF) and mean time to repair (MTTR) have been made as a result of the CtrlTech Critical Power team's efforts. Additionally, due to the success of the CtrlTech UPSs, a replacement programme has been established to replace non-CtrlTech systems. "We are extremely pleased with the CtrlTech UPS systems that have been installed throughout our facility for over a decade and continue to operate reliably and without incident." CtrlTech has consistently provided us with world-class service for a growing portion of our UPS fleet over the years.”
Several years ago, non-CtrlTech rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems were installed to generate long-term savings through the use of green, renewable energy. Eventually, the inverters developed faults and ceased to generate power. Due to the lack of remote monitoring and the inability to receive valuable, real-time data directly from the inverters, the failures resulted in significant lost production.
Due to the reliability and serviceability of the CtrlTech UPS systems, and the fact that both divisions have expertise in energy storage and power electronics and manufacturing, when it came time to overhaul the two photovoltaic systems, the site engineers turned to CtrlTech once again.
The client was able to optimise the system and take advantage of secure and comprehensive system monitoring by selecting a CtrlTech PV solution. Repairing and upgrading the 260-panel solar photovoltaic system required replacing the inverter and installing sixty power optimizers on an accommodation building, as well as replacing two inverters and installing an additional one hundred power optimizers on a research building. The installations were completed in less than seven days, with inverters generating green alternating current power.
At Customer Campus, the CtrlTech Critical Power solution consists of two components: a series of fully-maintained UPS systems and two solar PV systems, which provide energy savings in addition to continuity and peace of mind.
The modular UPS systems provide uninterrupted power to a number of the Campus's research facilities and site security systems, and will continue to grow in tandem with the site's evolving power requirements.
The upgrade to DC-optimized photovoltaic systems now maximises the power output of the solar panels, further lowering energy bills by allowing the panels to operate at their peak efficiency. Remote, module-level monitoring enables the customer to monitor system performance 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, enabling faults to be detected immediately. Additionally, it will result in fewer site visits, increased system uptime, and decreased operational and maintenance costs in the future. Additionally, the customer benefits from a system that incorporates SafeDCTM and arc-fault detection and interruption to safeguard site personnel and visitors.
“The fact that CtrlTech has provided us with advanced and reliable UPS solutions for years influenced our decision to use CtrlTech for the photovoltaic system. We increased the energy yield by upgrading the solar photovoltaic system, and now that we can monitor the system on a regular basis, we can see exactly what is happening.”
Many buildings and industrial processes require certain operational ranges of relative humidity. Typically, dehumidification is required for these relative humidity areas. Two standards define efficiency requirements for moisture removal. Two calculations were developed to improve moisture removal efficiency by the The Air-Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), Standard 920, "Performance Rating for DX Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems Units." MRE is pounds of moisture divided into energy to remove energy (LBw/KWHR). The efficiency is to remove humidity. Secondly, the integrated seasonal removal efficiency (ISMRE) calculation measures moisture removal efficiency under various operating conditions..
Inflation is not new, and electricity bills often climb by between 2% and 4% each year.
However, would the record-high inflation expected in 2021 make electricity bills intolerable?
As this figure indicates, as of June 2021, we are experiencing inflation at a rate not seen since 2008.
The most significant price increases were in the following categories: used automobiles and trucks (45.2 percent), gasoline (45.1 percent), fuel oil (44.5 percent), utility gas service (15.6 percent), and transportation services (10.4 percent ). Housing expenses increased by 2.6 percent, while food costs increased by 2.4 percent.
Now, let us examine historical energy prices:
As these two charts demonstrate, electricity rates have been consistently growing for the previous two decades, irrespective of inflation. Indeed, just three years in the last two decades have seen no major increase in the price of power.
Inflation is a term that refers to the rate at which the prices of goods and services in an economy are increasing.
Inflation occurs when prices increase as a result of increased manufacturing expenses, such as raw materials and labour.
Increased demand for goods and services can result in inflation, since consumers are ready to pay a higher price for the product.
Numerous factors contribute to the determination of electricity costs, but the three primary ones are as follows:
Electricity demand in general (for example in summer electricity will be more expensive than in spring)
Sources of generation are available (so how much electricity can be generated to fill that demand, balancing the supply and demand factor)
Costs/supply/demand of raw commodities (electricity is manufactured from a variety of commodities, each of which has its own market. If the prices of these commodities fluctuate, it will have an effect on the price of power as well. As an illustration, consider natural gas. Natural gas accounts for around 40% of the electricity you consume. As demonstrated by this natural gas market graph, the natural gas market is beginning to climb, resulting in an increase in power rates. Here you can see the recent increase in natural gas market prices.
Electricity rates, according to the energy information administration, will continue to rise during 2021 and 2022.
As energy consultants, we have already begun to observe price increases of 5-7 percent in certain major utilities in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and up to 15-20 percent in others.
So what are your options?
There are two options available to you.
Increase your energy costs
You will not be charged for your energy.
If you live in a state that allows for energy deregulation or energy choice (as demonstrated in the video above), you may be eligible for something called Energy Price Protection!
If you're unfamiliar with energy deregulation, I strongly advise you to view this video now that explains what it is.
If you're familiar with energy deregulation, you're probably aware that by selecting a competitive energy rate from a retail energy supplier in your utility zone, you can lock in a fixed rate for up to six months, and in certain circumstances seven years. This would safeguard your firm against future inflation and increased electricity costs.
At energy specialists, we can assist you in identifying the best supplier, the most competitive pricing, and, most importantly, contract terms that are customised to your individual business and energy usage. Additionally, we offer a completely free energy study to determine:
If there are lower rates available for your firm, you should take advantage of them.
Determine if there are any more energy solutions that we can implement to help you save money on your energy expenditures.
I hope this essay was beneficial to you. Kindly contact me with any questions or if you require assistance in locating reduced energy rates!
Thousands, if not millions, of energy users participate in the energy choice programme each year by selecting their own energy supplier and the pricing and programmes that best suit their personal or corporate energy needs.
In this post, we'll define a kilowatt-hour and explain why it's critical to understand while shopping for and securing reduced energy prices for your house or business.
If you have an additional minute or two, we thought it would be prudent to spend a few lines outlining the energy choice programme, energy deregulation, and the meaning of a kilowatt-hour.
Energy deregulation refers to jurisdictions that permit retail energy suppliers to sell electricity and natural gas directly to consumers – which includes you.
This is referred to as deregulation of the energy sector or the energy choice initiative.
If you're unfamiliar with the energy choice programme, we've created a brief video to help you have a better understanding of it.
The energy choice programme enables you, as an energy customer, to shop around for the best deal on energy.
Finding better rates is one of the primary benefits of being allowed to choose your own energy supplier. However, at what rate?
This is where kilowatt-hours enter the picture.
You pay for energy in kilowatt-hours on your electric bill. Similar to purchasing fruit by the pound.
At some time, you may have noticed the phrase "Kilowatt-Hours" or "KWH" followed by a number on your power bill. What is a kilowatt-hour, then?
Now, we'll get to the meat of the topic. How much energy is contained in a kilowatt-hour?
In its simplest form, a kilowatt-hour is a unit of measurement for the amount of power consumed.
It is not always about how many kilowatt-hours you consume in an hour. Rather than that, it is simply a unit used by your energy company to determine how much electricity you consume.
Rather than delving into the intricate nuances, as many publications do, let's look at a few straightforward instances that anybody can relate to: When you purchase appliances, the box or description will typically include the wattage they consume. A watt is the quantity of power consumed by an appliance.
Assume you purchased a 100W LED light bulb.
If you left the light bulb on continuously for ten hours, you would consume around one kilowatt-hour (1 KWH).
If you left the lamp on for 5 hours each day for a month, it would consume 15 kilowatt-hours. And at a cost of ten cents per kilowatt-hour, that single light bulb would cost $1.50 each month.
Now consider something larger, such as an electric stove.
When you turn on your electric stove, 2000 watts are consumed. If the stove is left on for 30 minutes, it consumes 1 kilowatt-hour.
If you cooked for an hour each day on such stove, you would consume 60 kilowatt-hours in a month. At a ten-cent-per-kilowatt-hour rate. You would pay $6.00 each month for the stove.
Your local utility bills you according to the number of kilowatt-hours consumed.
At the end of each month, a substantial amount of your monthly energy bill is determined by the total number of kilowatt-hours consumed multiplied by the rate you pay per kilowatt-hour.
How Much Per Kilowatt-Hour Do You Pay?
Now that you understand what a kilowatt-hour is, examine your power statement to determine the price per kilowatt-hour you are paying.
If you live in a deregulated state and have access to the energy choice programme, locating inexpensive rates per kilowatt hour is one of the simplest and most successful ways to reduce your monthly energy bills, since it allows you to pay less money for the exact same amount of kilowatt hours consumed.
Another strategy to save money on your monthly power bill is to invest in energy-efficient LED lighting and appliances (more modern equipment tends to be more energy efficient).
While there are numerous ways to manage and reduce your energy cost, the purpose of this post was to clarify what a kilowatt-hour is and why it's significant while shopping for electricity rates.
We hope you found this post informative and wish you success in your search for the best energy rates and programmes to meet your energy demands.
Operating a small business has a variety of challenges and hurdles, one of which is determining and maintaining low overhead expenditures in order to grow or optimise revenues.
Given that many business owners are confronted with this issue, let us discuss it.
Because most small businesses spend a significant amount on payroll, it is frequently one of the first items to be eliminated when lowering expenses. Following that, there are expenses such as insurance, rent, marketing, and even building maintenance and repair. Essentially, anything more that you "do not require" or "could probably do without."
Due to the fact that you cannot just turn off the lights, electricity is sometimes neglected as a means of reducing your monthly budget. Yet the majority of small businesses spend a significant percentage of their budget on energy, and depending on the industry, energy can account for up to 30% of operational expenditures.
Consider how much money you spend each month on electricity or natural gas.
The truth is that there are numerous ways to reduce your energy bills today. And no, we're not talking about dimming the lights or shutting off the air conditioning in the dead of July.
Additionally, minimising your energy use benefits not just your financial line but also the environment. The less energy you consume, the less energy the grid must generate through the combustion of fossil fuels.
Thus, the million-dollar conundrum:
When it comes to cost cutting, why sacrifice some of the things you genuinely need to thrive and expand your business when you can save money on energy?
Before we address that question, let's examine the energy-intensive processes that occur in the majority of enterprises. With this knowledge, you can immediately begin taking steps to cut expenditures.
The Most Expensive Energy Sources for Small Businesses
What is one of the first things you do each morning when you arrive at work? How about turning on your lights? And what is one of the final things you do before departing? Switch off all lights. Due to the fact that your lights are on all day, they can consume a significant amount of energy and are frequently one of the top three energy expenses for small businesses.
Installing LED light bulbs is one of the quickest ways to cut your lighting expenditures. A typical small firm has approximately 50 light bulbs. If your small firm operates with 60-watt light bulbs, this equates to 3,000 watts each hour. By switching to LED light bulbs, you can provide the same amount of light for 475 watts per hour. Within a month, you would save over 600,000 watts and pay significantly less!
If you currently use LED light bulbs, there are other cost-cutting measures you may take. Perhaps there are areas or rooms in your office that are rarely used and hence do not require constant illumination throughout the day. Installing motion sensors that turn off lights automatically when no one is in the room can help you save money. Additionally, opening shades and utilising natural light while it is not too hot outdoors will help reduce expenditures.
Similar to lighting, the majority of small businesses have a central air conditioning or heating system that operates continuously throughout the day to maintain a comfortable working environment for both clients and staff. Unfortunately, many small businesses operate with out-of-date HVAC systems, which results in two expense increases:
A more than ten-year-old HVAC system can cost your organisation more than 20% of its cooling costs. Due to the high number of moving parts in older HVAC systems, they may have rusted components, clogged filters, dirty ducts, and a variety of other issues that contribute to the system's inefficiency.
Modern HVAC systems are designed with energy efficiency in mind, utilising innovative technologies to provide superior cooling or heating while conserving energy. If your business's HVAC system was installed in the 1970's, you might save up to 50% on energy bills by replacing it with a modern, energy-efficient model.
Numerous firms employ space heaters in the mistaken belief that they are less expensive than central heating. Regrettably, this is rarely the case.
Whether at work or at home, space heaters are among the most expensive appliances to operate.
Let us examine it. If you operate a space heater for eight hours per day, it will cost you approximately $36.50 per month. Due to the fact that most offices use multiple space heaters to maintain a pleasant temperature, space heaters quickly accumulate energy expenditures.
While computers are critical to any organisation, examine your workplace PCs and ask yourself this question: Am I actively using each computer? For the vast majority of businesses, the answer is no.
A desktop computer consumes approximately 300 watts per hour. If you have five idle PCs, this adds up to 1,500 watts every hour. After a month, this begins to mount up. Even when not in use, it consumes energy. When plugged in, a laptop computer consumes approximately 60 watts per hour and no energy when unplugged. The following are some steps you can take to lower your computer's energy consumption:
While copy machines are ubiquitous, they are one of the most energy-intensive workplace gadgets. Even in sleep mode, copy machines consume a significant amount of energy. When actively copying, the typical copier consumes 2,400 watts, 310 watts when in standby mode, and 200 watts when in sleep mode. Switching off your copy machine at the end of the day or when it is not in use can help you save money on your energy bill.
Numerous workplaces and organisations have monitors and audiovisual equipment that are not in use throughout the day. Often, these monitors display a screen saver when not in use and continue to consume energy even when turned off. The most efficient approach to manage this equipment is to connect it to a power strip and switch it off when not in use.
While energy is an integral aspect of your business, there are numerous ways to cut energy expenditures and consumption without jeopardising your organization's growth.
Energy Professionals provides no-cost energy consultations to businesses interested in lowering their energy bills.
Summer is usually associated with fun times! The wonderful and pleasant summer atmosphere and longer days allow you to do so many things such as going to the beach, boating or fishing, hiking, camping, cruising, etc. etc.
Summer has one unappealing aspect for your monthly energy cost. Heating up your home might raise your energy use by up to 30%.
Other factors that can contribute to higher electricity costs during the summer include increased energy demand and rates. Energies are priced like any other good or service. Since most businesses and houses consume more energy during the summer, demand for electricity increases, causing price increases. See our newest analysis on energy pricing and trends on our tracking the market page.
Keep your energy bills low this summer while enjoying the summer:
Your thermostat will be one of your top summer money-saving tools. Because everyone's temperature preferences and comfort levels vary, we won't tell you what settings to programme in your thermostat. But we have some data to work with.
When no one is in the building, turn down the air conditioner. Reducing summer energy expenditures is as simple as setting your air conditioner to 80 degrees or turning it off one hour or thirty minutes before employees come.
We know the office-temperature-debate undoubtedly dates back to the initial use of air conditioners. Saving money during the summer by managing it.
Nobody needs to turn their thermostat down during the day unless they work in a meat factory. According to our survey, many office workers need to wear a sweater or pullover to stay warm. Some employ space heaters, which add to your office's energy costs.
The office is usually between 68 and 76 degrees. Each degree the thermostat is increased saves 4 – 8% on cooling expenditures. Finding a comfortable temperature for your employees might help you save money on energy expenditures this summer.
An energy audit can help you uncover areas of energy waste, and if your business qualifies, it can help you find better energy rates, reducing your energy costs by up to 40%.
In addition, Energy Professionals offers free energy audits to help you find the best energy prices and/or uncover strategies to save money on your utility bills.
Nothing beats natural light in your workspace! In fact, we advised harnessing sunshine to save electricity last week.
Due to the hot weather, allowing sunshine into your office can have the opposite effect, warming it up and making your air conditioner work more to keep you cool. Using shades or draperies to exclude sunlight can significantly reduce monthly energy expenditures.
You may not think about it often, but if you haven't cleaned your HVAC system in five years, you should.
Heating and cooling use between 40% and 50% of your office's energy. Cleaning your HVAC system improves interior air quality, staff productivity, and helps extend the life of your HVAC system.
To restore your HVAC system to like-new condition, Energy Professionals uses a patented method.
Enjoy the summer without monthly electricity costs! By following these simple steps, you can save money on your energy costs and make this summer the most productive ever! Our energy efficiency and energy intelligence solutions can help you detect and eliminate energy waste, which can help you save money on your summer energy bills.
10 Ways To Save Money On Office Energy
Paying the highest rates for your energy usage? Is your rate class correct? Where is the energy being wasted? An Energy Audit can find the answers to these and other issues. An energy audit examines your energy bill in detail and suggests ways to save money.
We just audited an organic beef jerky manufacturer. Despite superb items, the owner was unable to make a profit due to operational costs. His energy bill revealed us he was in the wrong rate class, and we changed it, saving him $40,000 a year.
A church in New York believed they were getting the greatest rates for electricity, but their bills were excessive. We compared their rates to some of our retail energy suppliers and found them to be nearly 3X lower.
s you can see, an energy audit can often lead to immediate cost savings as well as efforts to prevent energy waste.
We don't want to emphasise the obvious, but just one minor issue wastes a lot of electricity. Larger offices spend more energy.
Conference rooms, restrooms, lunchrooms, and many offices have lights on all day. But not only lights. Computers, monitors, printers, copiers, even microwaves in the lunchroom. Many appliances require energy when not in use. These are vampire devices (read How To Detect Vampire Appliances).
To save money on your office energy expenses, just plug all these devices into a power strip and switch off all the lights and power strips before leaving.
Your building receives 6-12 hours of sunlight every day. Taking advantage of this by opening the curtains and leaving the lights off, or just half on, can help you save money.
Lights typically account for a large amount of monthly energy expenses.
Regular light bulbs, while cheaper to buy, only emit 10-20% of the energy they consume to generate light. The remaining 80-90 percent is used to generate heat for lighting.
Changing your workplace lighting to CFLs or LEDs can save your energy expenditures by up to 30%. CFL and LED lights can also last up to ten times longer than normal light bulbs, saving you money.
Motion sensors in common spaces and larger offices turn off lights when there is no movement for a period of time. Using motion detectors to control lighting in common areas saves energy.
Light dimmers can be used in conjunction with natural light to adjust light output. You don't always need maximal output. Using lower daytime and higher nighttime dimmer settings will help you conserve electricity.
This is another apparent one, but it needs to be mentioned because many offices have programmable thermostats that staff manually set to their liking, throwing the thermostat off schedule. Choosing a pleasant temperature for everyone and not changing the programmed settings can enhance your A/energy C's efficiency.
With age, windows and doors begin to allow in outside air. The tiny things pile up, and before you know it, your A/C is working harder, and your monthly energy bill is up 10%. Because it happens gradually, it is difficult to detect and your windows and doors are not the source. Adding new sealant to window edges helps reduce A/C usage.
arlier, we discussed how using natural light to light rooms might save money. When it's hot outdoors and the sun is shining, this may have the opposite impact, so consider the weather. Windows and glass doors let in sunlight and heat. You can use energy efficient window tint, solar screens, window curtains, and awnings as solutions.
Most modern office equipment is designed to be energy efficient. Nevertheless, while purchasing a new printer, copier, or computer. The ENERGY STAR logo Energy star equipment is designed to consume as little energy as possible and shut down automatically when not in use. Older office equipment can be very energy intensive. We recommend replacing older equipment with more energy efficient models.
In one case, a workplace reduced its energy costs by nearly half by upgrading to energy efficient office equipment.
Nothing beats not having an electricity bill. Complete energy independence. For businesses and citizens, several states offer significant incentives and even tax breaks. Solar power has become entirely cheap due to a flourishing solar industry and high demand for green and renewable energy. Many financial choices allow business owners to support their ventures. Even though solar involves an initial investment, the monthly payment is usually less than what you were spending for energy.
No words concerning your HVAC system. Older HVAC systems waste a lot of energy, as they are the biggest energy consumer. Recent research revealed that building owners in New York were wasting upwards of $1,000,000,000 (1 Billion Dollars) due to faulty HVAC equipment.
With our revolutionary HVAC refurbishment method, we can help you increase indoor air quality and overall workplace comfort while restoring your older HVAC system to like-new condition.
There is no obvious answer to the question, “How much electricity does a computer use?” Regardless, we'll do our best to help answer the query.
Most computers are designed to require up to 400 kilowatts per hour, but they typically use less.
he average CPU needs about the same amount of power as a light bulb. A Pentium-based PC requires around 100 kWh. The monitor is off. Your computer's monitor probably consumes more power than the processor.
Electricity usage increases when your monitor is on. Computers need varying quantities of energy. Speakers, printers, displays, and other gear all require electricity to operate. Connection to your PC will also require power. This will all impact your electricity use.
The similar thing happens when you start working on your computer or laptop. The quantity of electricity used by your computer depends on the programme. A word processor uses less electricity than a computer game. All of these actions need more energy than reading a pdf file or doing anything else text-based.
As you can see, there are several reasons why your electricity usage varies. It's impossible to quantify how much electricity your computer consumes.
Examine your gear's maximum electric capacity. You can obtain this information in the user manuals, on the hardware box, or by searching Google. Add the totals and find out what the average kilowatt-hour costs in your state. The figures will vary by city, but the state average will give you a rough idea. Multiply the kilowatt usage by the state's average cost. This will tell you how much an hour of computer use costs. This last statistic assumes your PC is being tested.
You probably don't expect that much from your PC. It probably consumes power and hence costs far less than you think. But you know the maximum cost. You may even multiply it by the amount of hours you use it daily to get an idea of how much electricity you use.
You can figure out your electricity usage better than we can.
If you do the math, you'll be astonished at how much electricity your computer consumes. Here are some ideas for lowering that amount.
Most people think that putting their computer or laptop to sleep or hibernate saves a lot of energy. But it isn't always the case. Even when sleeping, a computer can use between 1 and 60 kilowatts per hour. When your computer's CPU consumes 100-200 kilowatts per hour, sleeping saves you very little energy
Fix it simply turning off your computer while not in use. Only if you were hosting a file for others would you need to keep it on. And if you are, upload it to the cloud and share it. Turning off your computer saves you a lot of energy and money.
Is your PC too hot? It could be a broken fan. It could be due to dust clogging the vent. It could be a hardware issue. If your computer isn't working properly, it's probably wasting electricity. Take it to a repair shop to fix it. A repair may be costly, but the savings in energy will more than make up for it.
Computers accumulate malware. That's their job. Unless you only use your computer to produce word documents and never go online, you probably have malware on your machine. That doesn't indicate you have a virus or a hacker is stealing your identity. Most likely, it's a marketing scheme tracking your internet usage. This trojan consumes electricity. You buy electricity. Keep your computer clean by running a virus scan periodically. Less useless apps running in the background means less electricity.
So your PC uses a lot of power. What?
You should care for two reasons.
In the first place, electricity can harm or benefit the environment. The EPA has an energy calculator that shows how much CO2 a kilowatt-hour of power emits into the atmosphere. Although your computer or laptop may not have a major impact on the earth's atmosphere, little global contributions build up. If we all cared, we'd see that our efforts add up.
Second, you pay for it. You'd like to save money on power, right? If you do the math, your computer costs you more than you think.